Save the Last Dance for Me
by Bluefeathermuse
Summary: "I'm not going to fall in love with her. It's harmless flirting," Laslow said. "Yeah, but flirting can lead to marriage…and kids!" Selena warned. Connected drabbles for Laslow/InigoxCorrin!
1. Try Again Tomorrow

**Quick Info~**

This game, man... Welcome to my first fic for Fire Emblem: Fates! I'm super excited to share this with you guys! After having an internal struggle over who to marry in Conquest (I'm talking A-supporting with almost all of the guys just to figure it out) I finally decided on Laslow/Inigo. He's such a sweetie and, despite my love for Fates, nothing will surpass my love for Awakening. So that's how these drabbles were born. I'm not sure how many there will be and I'm hoping to switch up the POV's depending on the chapter. However, they all will be connected :) I hope you guys enjoy this first installment! Feel free to leave feedback on what you liked, what you didn't, what you're hoping for in the future, etc.

* * *

 **Drabble 1: Try Again Tomorrow**

"It's just tea," I said, frowning as Odin and Selena eyed me disapprovingly.

"You don't understand," Odin said, draping one arm around my shoulder and dramatically extending the other in the air. "You don't know what darkness could engulf our parents' futures if you fall in love with someone in this world."

I laughed, shrugging Odin's arm off. "I don't think tea is going to completely collapse the time stream."

"Yeah, but we can't afford to _think._ We have to _know,_ " Selena jeered, flicking one red pigtail behind her shoulder and scowling at me.

"Fine," I said, rolling my eyes. "Then I _know_ tea won't completely collapse the time stream."

Selena sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose in between her fingers. "You're such an idiot sometimes."

I grinned, tipping her chin towards me. "Don't be jealous."

"Ugh! Yeah, like I'm jealous," Selena scoffed. "I could have my fair share of Nohrian men if I wanted. And, speaking of that, have you considered that Lady Corrin might turn you down for someone else?"

"Of course," I said, frowning. "One of my nature isn't a stranger to rejection."

"Perhaps Lady Corrin's heart has been swiftly taken from your grasp by the very man you claim to serve?" Odin added.

"Guys, I'm not trying to take her heart. I just want to treat a beautiful woman to tea," I said, waving away their worries with my hand as I began to walk out of Odin's quarters. "And just so you know, saving our parents is more important than anything else. I would never jeopardize that."

* * *

"What do you mean 'no'?" I asked flatly.

"Just what I said," Corrin replied. "No, I won't go to tea with you."

"Lady Corrin," I said, taking her hand and pressing it to my lips before giving her the best puppy dog eyes I could muster. "You never know what tomorrow might hold! What if I never get the opportunity to ask you again?"

"Again? So this is going to be a daily thing, then?" Corrin asked, smiling coyly.

"Indeed!" I said, flashing her a wide smile. "Every day until you say yes."

Corrin laughed dryly. "Then let's ask Xander if you can go on a special mission to the front lines tomorrow."

"You wound me," I said, clutching my chest and feigning hurt. "But if I do get the chance to live another day, wait for me to ask you again, okay?"

Her expression softened and I could've sworn that I saw her genuinely smile. The smallest quirk of her lips managed to light up her entire face for a single second.

"Sure," she said, dropping her gaze to the floor and swiftly turning on her heel to leave.

"I'll count the seconds!" I called as she disappeared into the castle.

I thought about going to brag to Odin and Selena about my partial victory, but my heart was pounding so loud that I wasn't sure I would even be able to get the words out.

Was it all because Corrin had smiled at me? She smiled a lot, probably too much, and that was coming from the King of Smiles. But it was always strained, like it took every muscle in her body to control one simple movement.

I was certainly out of practice if a simple smile made me turn into a pile of immovable mush. I shook my head and headed towards the Cafeteria, hoping that forcing down some inedible rations would paralyze the butterflies in my stomach.

* * *

"Peri," I started, moving a sticky pile of mashed potatoes around on my plate. "Have you talked to Lady Corrin recently?"

"I saw her in the hot springs earlier," Peri replied, tipping a can of tomato juice to her lips and smirking at Leo who was enviously eyeing it from across the room.

"Oh, yeah?" I asked, swallowing as I tried to stammer nonchalantly. "Did she happen to say anything about, oh, I don't know, her day, the weather… me?"

"You?" Peri asked, repeatedly stabbing a stale piece of bread with a knife on her plate. "Yeah."

"Oh, okay. Interesting," I said, dropping my gaze to the plate in front of me and feeling my cheeks begin to heat.

Blushing was, much to my misfortune, a trait I undoubtedly inherited from my mother.

"Hey, Laslow?" Peri asked, turning to me with a serious expression on her face. "Do you think stabbing a person like I did with this piece of bread would be fatal or only tortuous?"

"So what did Lady Corrin say about me?"

Peri frowned, her bottom lip protruding into a fat pout. "You didn't answer my question!"

I rolled my eyes. "I don't know, Peri. Probably fatal, I guess. But _what did Lady Corrin say about me?_ "

Peri sighed. "You're no fun. And it wasn't much, lover-boy. Just that you asked her out to tea and that she's planning on repeatedly saying no."

Ouch.

"Looks like I'll just have to keep trying harder then," I said, clenching my hand into a fist and pounding the table with pure determination. "A true gentleman would never give up so easily!"

"A true gentleman would also avoid splattering mashed potatoes on his comrades," Peri said, flicking the white mush off of her wrist and back at me.

"Oh, sorry," I said awkwardly, noticing that my fist must've landed in my lunch.

"Just don't be this much of an oaf when you talk to Lady Corrin again," Peri said, shaking her head and resuming mutilating the piece of bread.

* * *

"Another beautiful day! The birds are chirping. The breeze is gently blowing through the trees. Not to mention, it isn't as drearily dark as it usually is," I said, leaning against the trunk of a tree and eyeing Corrin seductively.

"Someone is in a good mood," she said, brushing past me.

"You noticed!" I said, stepping in front of her and grabbing both of her hands. "That's because it is the perfect day for tea."

"Let me know how it tastes," she said, standing on her tiptoes and patting my head in a degrading manner.

I quickly recovered, and moved one hand to cup her cheek. "How about you find out for yourself by accompanying me?" I asked.

"Ah, this again," Corrin said. "Hmm, let me think. No."

"Another rejection. Perhaps Selena was right after all. Is your heart taken by another? What man is it? Kaze? Don't tell me it's Odin?!"

"No, it's not like that."

"Then maybe it's a woman? I know that Lady Camilla is your sister, but you are adopted so I'm sure there are ways around that," I said, placing my hand underneath my chin in thought. "Alright. That settles it. I would never want to step out of line, but if I have to fight for your heart then so be it!"

"Laslow—"

"I'll spar each suitor. I'll fight better, dance better, even sleep better if I have to. Anything is worth—"

"Laslow!" Corrin yelled.

"Hmm?" I opened my eyes and watched as Corrin looked at me visibly irritated.

"How many other women have you told this to?" she asked.

My smile faded and I clasped my hands in front of me, utterly embarrassed. Out of all of the questions she could've asked, why that one? I was a flirt. I was an unabashedly huge flirt. But I was not a liar, so I knew I had to answer with complete sincerity.

"Just today?" I asked.

Corrin's eyes widened and she shook her head. "You're ridiculous," she said, pushing past me.

"So no tea then?" I asked.

"Try again tomorrow!" she responded, and the lilt of her voice made me believe that she wanted me to.


	2. You Give Me Butterflies

**Quick Info~**

I just wanted to quickly say thank you to everyone who checked out the first chapter! You guys are all so sweet and I couldn't wait to post this next chapter. Drabbles are probably my favorite form of fanfiction writing. (I can be as fluffy as I want!) So this next chapter is definitely cheesy, but I think it has a lot of heart. Kind of like Laslow? (I also threw in some Xander for my own enjoyment) Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy the second installment. This one is written in 3rd person POV for a different perspective on their budding relationship.

* * *

 **Drabble 2: You Give Me Butterflies**

"But Xander!" Corrin protested, stomping her foot childishly.

"If you're insisting you're no longer a child, you aren't doing a very good job," Xander said sternly.

"That's because I'm trying to match how ridiculous you sound," Corrin muttered, crossing her arms over her chest and turning away from him.

Xander sighed, placing his hands on Corrin's shoulders soothingly. "Look, I just don't want to see you get hurt. You haven't been on the battlefield for that long and this mission is better suited towards people who have."

"I don't want you to think I'm weak, Xander," she said.

"I think you're anything but weak, little princess," he said gently. "So please just be strong and stay behind for the good of the army."

"Fine," Corrin said, her shoulders slumping in defeat. "But I don't have to be happy about it."

Xander chuckled. "I wouldn't expect anything less. But thank you."

"Mhmm," Corrin mumbled dejectedly, waving away his thanks with her hand.

Xander turned to leave Corrin's quarters without another word. She dropped to the bed as soon as he was gone, feeling frustrated tears prickle at the corner of her eyes. Wasn't she the one who recruited Xander to join her little peace brigade in the first place? Shouldn't she be the one calling the shots?

And now she was stuck by herself while the rest of her army got to fight the battles she was so desperately trying to stop. It was the single worst thing she could think of in the moment.

A knock on her door was soon followed by a lilting, flirtatious, "Corrin?"

Correction. _That_ was the single worst thing she could think of in the moment.

"Laslow, go away," Corrin yelled, her voice muffled by the fabric of the pillow as she sunk her face further and further into it.

"It's urgent business, milady," Laslow called again, rapping on the door in a strangely rhythmic way.

No reply.

"If you don't answer I'm coming in on my authority as a retainer," Laslow said. "This is your last warning!"

Still no reply.

The knob on the door jiggled for a moment before Laslow opened it completely.

"I'm not in the mood," Corrin said, pulling the pillow over her head.

"I'm positively bored, though," Laslow whined.

"That's what was so urgent? You're _bored?_ " Corrin asked, feeling irritation bubble up in her stomach.

But it was useless. It wasn't worth getting mad at him. Especially since he was in the same boat as she was.

So she simply sighed and softened her voice before adding, "Join the club."

"Ah, so Lord Xander didn't let you go on the mission, either?" he asked, and the familiar sound of dejection in his voice made Corrin feel for him.

"You think I would choose to stay here out of my own free will?" Corrin jeered.

Even if she did feel empathetic, he didn't have to know it.

Laslow didn't respond. Instead, he simply looked at her quizzically for a moment, deeply studying her as if he wasn't sure whether to speak.

"Alright, then it's settled," Laslow said suddenly, nodding his head and flashing Corrin a mischievous smile. "We're going out."

"I keep telling you no." Corrin sighed.

"I don't mean on a date," Laslow said, laughing and extending his hand towards her. "I mean out into town. Lord Xander can't keep us from that."

"I don't know, Laslow," Corrin said, sitting up on the bed with her eyes fixated on his hand.

"It'll be fun. I promise," Laslow said, wiggling his fingers and urging her to get up. "And besides, we'll be back before the Kingdom even realizes we're gone!"

Corrin groaned, but grabbed his hand anyway. "If I wasn't so willing to get revenge on Xander for leaving me here, this conversation would've gone a lot differently," she said.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, milady," Laslow said, holding the door open for her.

It was as effortless as breathing to escape the castle grounds. Besides the fact that they were the only ones still there—aside from Elise and Odin, who were strangely nowhere to be found either—they didn't even run into trouble getting to the market. Typically, many a Nohrian would want to stop and meet Corrin, whether to ridicule her for her Hoshidan blood or praise her for her merciful tactics as a leader. And Laslow, strangely enough, didn't seem to bat an eye whenever they would pass anyone who looked remotely female.

"Are you feeling alright today?" Corrin asked, staring at Laslow out of the corner of her eye.

He blinked, confused. "Yeah. Why do you ask?"

"That girl had the shortest skirt I've probably ever seen and you didn't even smile at her," Corrin said, jabbing her thumb behind her.

Laslow looked over his shoulder, stared at the girl for a moment, and then shrugged. "I guess I just didn't notice."

 _Bizarre_ , Corrin thought.

"Anyway, I want to take you somewhere," Laslow said.

"I thought I said no to—"

"Lady Corrin, this isn't a date," Laslow said. "Just some place I think you would like that I've happened to visit before."

Corrin agreed, despite her distrust. Apparently Laslow just wasn't feeling flirty. In a way, Corrin was able to breathe a sigh of relief. She could at least spend some time with him without worrying about what cheesy line he was going to use next. On the other hand, though, part of her felt slightly insulted that she was no longer good enough to be the object of his affection.

"Close your eyes," Laslow said after they had been walking for a good distance.

Corrin eyed him warily for a moment, but complied.

"And no peaking, or else I'll have to embarrass you by taking you to dance with me in the public square," he whispered, steering her gently with his hands on her shoulders.

"I think _you'd_ be the one who gets embarrassed," Corrin said.

She heard a door open and, from the way it scraped against the ground, it sounded heavy. A warm, slightly sweet smell filled her nostrils and it sounded like she was no longer stepping on pavement, but rather on sand.

"Alright, you can open your eyes now," Laslow said, taking his hands off of her shoulders and proudly standing beside her.

Corrin's breath caught in her throat and she held her hands up to her mouth in shock. They were in a glass dome of sorts, surrounded by hundreds of butterflies in every color under the sun. Different flowers and shrubbery sprouted from the ground, and the butterflies flitted between them gracefully.

"Laslow, I—" Corrin started, but couldn't seem to find the words to finish.

Laslow chuckled. "I figured you hadn't been here before. It reminded me of my brief time in Hoshido, and I thought you might like a little reminder of your birthplace."

Corrin looked at Laslow and for the first time, he felt as though she was really looking at him. It was a strange expression, and it made his knees buckle and his heart catch in his throat. She was smiling, positively beaming, and yet the corners of her mouth were quivering as if she were about to burst into tears. Her eyes were grateful, yet slightly confused, as if she were looking upon a stranger who treated her kindly.

"This is beautiful," she whispered. "Thank you."

Laslow shook his head and flicked his bangs to the side in an attempt to regain his composure. "M-my pleasure, milady. Did you know you can feed them if you'd like?"

"Really?!" Corrin exclaimed, and her eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas morning.

Laslow nodded. "Come here! I'll show you."

He grabbed her hand and took her over to a man standing in the middle of the butterfly garden. He was holding a tray filled with orange slices in little plastic cups.

"Good sir," Laslow said, holding up one hand. "We'd like to purchase one orange slice, please."

The man nodded and Laslow took out his wallet.

"I can pay," Corrin said, reaching for her own wallet

Laslow shook his head, and handed the man the proper amount. "I'm treating you. I owe you one anyway," he said.

"For what?" Corrin asked.

Laslow didn't respond. Instead, he merely took the plastic cup off of the tray and handed it to her, his cheeks tinted pink. Corrin instantly forgot about his comment as soon as she spotted some butterflies, and began to walk towards a bush filled with brilliantly colored Swallowtails.

"Come here, little guys. I've got food!" Corrin whispered, holding out her hand.

Laslow couldn't help but laugh. She was acting completely adorable. As hard as it was, flirting with her would definitely be out of the question if he wanted her to trust him at all in the future. So instead he resorted to watching her from afar, studying the gentle way she handled the butterflies as they landed on her finger. She really was completely unwilling to hurt a single soul.

"Laslow, don't tell me you're afraid of butterflies," Corrin teased. "Come try it!"

"Butterflies are like women, Lady Corrin. They love me," Laslow said cockily, strutting towards her and taking the cup from her hand.

"They love to leave you, apparently," Corrin said, stifling giggles as the butterflies dispersed almost immediately after Laslow took the cup.

Laslow frowned, clenching his fist around the cup and squirting orange juice into his face. He doubled over, letting the peel and the cup fall to the ground as he rubbed his eyes. Corrin was roaring with laughter, clutching her stomach as she stooped to pick up what Laslow had dropped.

"Are you alright?" she asked, gasping in between giggles.

"What did I tell you?" Laslow exclaimed, holding his arms out and smiling triumphantly. "I told you they love me."

Corrin's mouth widened in surprise as she watched a beautiful blue butterfly perch happily on Laslow's nose.

"That's cheating! You got orange juice on your nose," she protested, although her eyes were shining happily.

Laslow went cross-eyed for a moment to examine the butterfly. He crinkled his nose, and Corrin felt her heart leap into her throat. She swallowed, hoping the strange feeling was merely due to the heat in the room.

"Well, as fun as this is," Laslow breathed. "It's quite ticklish."

Corrin leapt forward to help, catching the butterfly on the side of her index finger and lowering it from his face. "Don't want you sneezing and scaring them all away," she teased.

Laslow opened his mouth to retort but was unable to find a good comeback. Instead, he glanced outside and sighed.

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but its going to get dark soon," he said.

Corrin nodded. "You're right. And you need to take me back here sometime soon, so we can't risk getting caught."

Laslow's eyes lit up. "Take you back here? Me?"

"Yeah," she said, setting the butterfly back on a flower and then standing to face him. "You're the only person who's ever cared whether or not I miss Hoshido. Everyone is usually so concerned with convincing me that Nohr is better, that I haven't gotten the chance to tell anyone anything that happened to me in my birth country."

"I know what that's like," Laslow mumbled.

"What?" Corrin asked.

"Nothing. It's nothing," Laslow said. "Anyway, we should get going."

They walked in silence for a majority of the way back. Laslow had almost completely clammed up as soon as Corrin's hand accidentally brushed against his. Corrin was concerned if Xander had returned yet and the amount of trouble they would be in if he had.

But the sun was near setting and the castle grounds were still empty when they returned. Corrin let out a sigh of relief and Laslow seemed relieved as well.

"Thank you again for today," Corrin said.

"Anytime, milady," Laslow replied.

"And Laslow?" Corrin asked.

"Hmm?"

"You can stop with the formalities now. I mean, if you want," Corrin said. "Today we kind of got past all of that."

"You mean it?" Laslow asked.

"Of course! You're Xander's retainer, so the formality is for him. But we're friends," she said.

"O-of course, La—err, Corrin," Laslow squeaked.

Corrin smiled, hanging in the doorway to her room. Laslow smiled back and quickly pressed a kiss to his fingers before waving goodbye to her. She rolled her eyes. Looked like Laslow was back to being, well, Laslow.

"Going to ask me out tomorrow?" she called.

"Definitely," he called back.

Corrin laughed, closing the door behind her and sliding down the wooden frame. Laslow was definitely interesting. Definitely thoughtful. And for the first time in her life, she had definitely gotten butterflies.


	3. Step One, Two

**Quick Info~**

Get ready for some Laslow angst! As much as I want to just write fluff, the future kids from Awakening make that literally impossible if I want to develop their characters at all. So hopefully you guys enjoy this chapter despite its somber tone. And if you're reading this but never played Awakening before, **(is this a spoiler for Awakening? I'm not sure, but I'll write this here just in case)** the woman that Laslow is referring to - Olivia - is his mom. She's a dancer in Awakening, and he is attempting to follow in her footsteps. **(end spoiler)**

Also, thank you again all of you lovely people checking this out! I love hearing from you guys! :) I'm slowly getting back to everyone to let you know how much I appreciate it, but it isn't going as quickly as I'd like it to. Anyway, thanks again for everything and enjoy!

* * *

 **Drabble 3: Step One, Two**

It was the easiest move and I had forgotten it. Pointed toe, pirouette to the left, and then… Nothing. My mind felt completely blank. If I was being honest with myself, I could count on one hand the number of steps that remained, but forgetting one might as well have thrown the entire routine in the trash.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. All I had to do was think harder. It was in there somewhere. It had to be. Pointed toe, pirouette to the left, and then… Then…

"Laslow?"

My eyes snapped open and I stumbled, barely catching myself on one teetering leg. Corrin was standing in front of me, her big ruby eyes blinking curiously.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

I straightened, brushing off my tunic even though I knew there wasn't anything on it. "N-nothing," I stammered quickly. A little too quickly.

"Were you dancing out here all alone?"

"Someone's observant," I grumbled, averting my gaze and praying to Naga—or some Nohr equivalent—that my cheeks would stop burning long enough for me to regain my suave exterior.

"Hey, don't be embarrassed. I think you're amazing," Corrin said matter-of-factly.

"You do?" I asked, looking back at her with surprised eyes.

She nodded. "Yeah. You're pretty talented. Probably the best I've ever seen."

I smiled humbly. The best she's seen? Most likely, as Corrin didn't see many dancers while locked away in a tower. But I was nowhere near the best. Nowhere near Olivia.

"Thank you," I managed to utter despite the fact that my insides were twisted into a tight knot from simply looking at her.

"Why did you stop then?" Corrin asked.

I quickly recovered at her question, smirking playfully. "A dancer is much like a magician. We never reveal our secrets."

Corrin's smile faded and she put her hands on her hips haughtily. "I don't think that's the same thing."

"Au contraire," I said, taking a step towards her and reaching for her hand.

Her skin was warm and smooth to the touch despite the chilly morning air. She shivered, and I realized that my hands must've been far colder in comparison.

"I could finish the dance," I said, lowering my voice and leaning down towards her ear.

"What's the catch?" she asked, seemingly nonchalant despite the fact that her breath caught in her throat.

Hesitantly at first, I gingerly placed one hand on her lower back while the other laced my fingers with hers. "You dance _with_ me," I whispered.

I felt her shiver again and, as gracefully as I could, I spun her around. Her bare feet kicked up the dirt underneath us and her cape twirled around her body. Light blonde hair whisked in front of my face, catching glints of the rising sun as it went.

When I caught her hand in mine again, she was staring at me tentatively, holding her breath all the while.

"What?" I chuckled. "Lord Xander never taught you to dance?"

"I was more of a sparring partner than a waltzing one," Corrin said, and I could tell that she felt nervous.

"Well, it's easy enough," I said gently. "Just put one hand on my waist like this and keep the other in my hand. I'll lead, so all you have to do is follow my footsteps."

Corrin looked down at her feet, shuffling them awkwardly in the dirt. "Okay," she murmured.

A simple waltz was easy enough. I was sure my mother had taught it to me before I even learned how to walk. It was engrained in my mind as perfectly clear as looking at Corrin in front of me. I began counting slowly, repeating rhythmically so she could get used to dancing on tempo.

One foot back, one clumsy step followed. If remembering this was so easy, then why couldn't I remember Olivia's dance?

"Like this?" Corrin asked, her eyes glued to her feet like she couldn't tear them away if her life depended on it.

I laughed, letting her hand drop to her side. Taking my thumb, I gently tipped her chin towards mine. She blinked in confusion, her fingers fluttering near my arm like she was going to pull my hand away.

"Focus on me," I said.

She nodded slowly, and I took her hand in mine once more.

"One, two, three. One, two, three," I whispered, nodding my head along with each beat.

She moved clumsily, stepping on my toes and moving left when she was supposed to move right.

"Alright, now back," I said, taking a step towards her.

She nodded and chewed her lower lip uneasily. She lifted her leg, took a step, and collided into my chest. Her frustrated groan made me lose it. I laughed, loud and long, clutching her against my chest.

"What's so funny?" she demanded, taking a step back and crossing her arms angrily.

"I'm sorry, Corrin," I said, grinning.

"You took a step towards me so I did the same! I thought I was supposed to be following you!" Corrin whined.

"No, that's why I said 'back,'" I said, shaking my head.

She looked utterly adorable with her big angry eyes. She danced like her feet were made of lead and her arms like wet noodles. She was as graceful as a dragon, quite literally, on the battlefield. She was a whiz at squashing Hoshidan prejudice. And she was as beautiful as a blooming rose. But dancing was an entirely different story, and I couldn't keep the grin off of my face despite her disapproving glare.

"Well, why don't you show me the dance you're working on since I'm such a lost cause?" she huffed, sitting down in the dirt and staring up at me expectantly.

"We already went over this," I said, my cheeks burning once more.

"I'm not leaving until you do it," she responded.

"Then it looks like you're going to be out here for a long time," I answered, picking up my shoes from the ground and turning to leave.

"I don't think anyone would be very happy with you abandoning a princess in the woods by herself," Corrin called, her voice dripping with a challenge.

I winced. She was right. "Fine," I said, shaking my head and throwing my shoes to the ground. "I'll show you, but you need to remain absolutely quiet."

Corrin nodded and mimed zipping her lips and throwing away the key.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, trying to remember the music that played. Trying to remember the murmur of her voice singing along. Trying to remember what it was like when I thought I had all of the time in the world to learn that dance.

After a minute or two, I could feel the memory beginning to fade again. Pointed toe? Check. I remembered Olivia smiled at me. Pirouette to the left? Check. I remembered Olivia closed her eyes. I remembered watching expectantly. And then…

When I opened my eyes, I could barely see Corrin's face. My vision was blurred as my mind tried to grasp at the strings of memory to see what was next.

"That was good!" Corrin said, clapping her hands and smiling, bringing me back to reality. "It looks incomplete, though."

"Of course it looks incomplete!" I yelled, and Corrin's smile immediately faded. "Because it _is_ incomplete! Don't you see now why I didn't want to show you? I'm a disgrace to her memory by forgetting this dance!"

I sunk to the ground, pulling my knees to my chest and looking away from Corrin. I knew she was staring at me worriedly. Like I looked like a little lost puppy to her.

She didn't say anything for a while. She didn't look angry, either. Instead, she merely stood up, walked towards me, and put her arm around me. Resting her head on my shoulder, we sat there in silence.

"I'm sorry, Corrin," I said after what seemed like a millennium of silence.

"Don't be," Corrin said. "I'm sorry I made you dance for me."

I shook my head, wanting to laugh but unable to find the strength. _She_ apologized? She really did put the burden of the world on her shoulders.

"I just wish that I could remember. I know I watched her do it hundreds of times," I said, picking at little blades of grass on the ground.

"Can I ask who it was? Maybe someone in the Kingdom can find them for you?" Corrin asked.

I shook my head. "No, unfortunately she passed away when I was pretty young. Perfecting her dance is the only way that I can still feel like she's alive."

Corrin smiled earnestly and took my hand. "Well, I don't know much about perfecting it, but I bet she'd be proud that you care so much for her."

Despite the frustration, I actually found myself smiling. Corrin had that odd capability with others. No matter how angry they got, she was always willing and able to make them smile. In that way, she and I were kindred spirits of sorts.

"I hope so," I said.

Corrin nudged me in the side reassuringly and said, "I know so."

She then stood and faced me, reaching her hands out for me to grab. She hoisted me to my feet and shot me a cheeky grin.

"One more time?" she asked.

"For what?" I asked, grinning back despite the sudden fluttery feeling in my stomach.

"Teach me the waltz again," she urged. "I put my hands here, right?"

One hand ghosted over my shoulder while her other waited patiently for me to take it. She was staring at me expectantly, like she was putting all of her trust in me for that moment.

I shook my head and blinked, taking her hand and trying to keep my inherited blushing and weak knees at bay.

"Right," I said. "On my count. Step one, two, three…"


	4. Sparring Partners

**Quick Info~**

Even though I'm excited for every chapter, I really enjoy this one! There are some hints of other pairings in this chapter, but they aren't necessarily the ones I chose for my game. (mostly because I'm slow and trying to support everyone with everyone so that I get the cutest couples I can. Who care about stats in Fire Emblem: Dates, amirite?) Anyway, all of you guys are literally the best and I appreciate all of your feedback/favorites/follows/reads more than I can ever express! I hope you guys like this chapter :) It's another 3rd person POV and it furthers the drabbles quite a lot...

* * *

 **Drabble 4: Sparring Partners**

"Alright, today is the day!" Laslow said. "I've been preparing for this, well, every day since she first told me no. So why do I feel so…?"

"Whoa there," Odin said, catching Laslow as he stumbled backwards. "Don't want you succumbing to the darkness before you even have a chance to be turned down."

"Why are you always like this?" Selena asked, picking at a hangnail as she sat haughtily on a stool in Laslow's quarters.

"Me?" Odin asked. "That's because I am cursed with this—"

Selena rolled her eyes. "No, not you. Although, that's a good question for later. I mean Inig—Laslow."

Laslow chuckled weakly. "It was easier back when I just wanted to take her on one date."

Odin's eyes widened and his lips broke out into an open-mouth smile. "You actually _like_ Lady Corrin now, don't you?"

"That's, no, that's absurd. What makes you think that?" Laslow asked, mentally cursing how hot his face felt.

"Liar," Selena said, standing up and smirking. "You're completely enamored with her."

"So what if I am? She's a princess and I'm just, well, me," Laslow said, sinking down onto his bed and picking at the tassels hanging from the duvet.

"I think 'just you' is pretty awesome, though," Odin said.

"Yeah, you're a total weirdo but you can be sweet when you want to," Selena added.

Laslow managed a small smile. "She thinks it's a game," he said. "I doubt she even thinks I'm serious about it anymore."

"Then don't ask her today," Selena said.

"Won't that make her think I'm really not interesting?" Laslow asked.

Selena shook her head. "Not at all. If you don't ask her, she'll think something is up. She'll go and ask you about it, and that's when you ask her again. In private. For real."

"Girls don't work that way, Selena," Odin said, leaning on Selena's shoulder and chuckling.

She shoved him off of her and scowled. "Maybe if you spent less time in the dark realms and actually listened to a girl instead of monologue-ing like an idiot, you'd actually know a thing or two about them."

Laslow couldn't help but stifle a laugh.

Selena huffed and Odin plopped down on Laslow's bed, muttering something about there being women in the dark realms.

"It's worth a try," Laslow said finally. "Thank you guys. I'll just have to find something to entertain myself for the day."

* * *

"Absolutely not," Xander said.

"But why not?" Laslow asked. "Trust me, Lord Xander. You never know what affections are hiding in your heart until you unleash them."

"The only thing I want to unleash right now is opening this door and kicking you out," he said sternly.

"Peri isn't that bad, milord," Laslow continued as Xander began to open the entrance door to the castle. "Yeah, she likes violence and knows what everyone in the army's blood types are but underneath all that she's, well, I mean… Alright fine, I've got nothing."

"Don't you have someone else to annoy right now, Laslow?" Xander asked, pinching the bridge of his nose and holding the door open for Laslow.

"Not exactly," Laslow said.

"Well, then find someone. Ah! There's Corrin. Alright, off you go," Xander said, shoving a completely unwilling Laslow out the door.

"Laslow?" Corrin asked, shooting him a confused look.

Laslow's eyes widened and he felt his stomach flip-flop. "Oh hey, Corrin," he said, dropping his gaze to the floor.

"I was just going to go annoy Xander, but from the looks of it you beat me to it," she said, laughing.

Laslow winced. Her laugh was one of the cutest things about her! How on earth was he supposed to ignore her like Selena suggested? She was just standing there smiling at him, and all of his insides felt like they were going to knot into one big bunch.

"Yeah, you know me," Laslow said. "Anyway, I've got some urgent business to attend to."

"Wait—" Corrin called.

"Sorry, milday," Laslow said. "I really can't talk right now."

Laslow hurriedly shuffled towards the bathhouse, feeling his heart pang as he left Corrin behind.

She stared after him, utterly confused. Hadn't they gotten past the retainer formality? And what urgent business could Laslow possibly have in the bathhouse? She was only going to ask him if he had annoyed Xander to the point where he wouldn't want to see anyone else.

* * *

Laslow ran so quickly into the bath that he barely had enough time to take off his clothes. He sunk underneath the water, hoping that the heat would flush out all of the icky feelings left over from ignoring Corrin. She looked so happy, which was a rarity with the war going on, and if he ruined that he didn't know what he was going to do. She probably hated him more now than she already did.

When Laslow emerged, his eyes widened in surprise and he clamped one hand over his mouth.

"Laslow!" Charlotte shrieked, immediately covering her breasts with one arm and reaching out the other to slap him across the cheek. "Pervert!"

"If you wanted to join, all you had to do was ask," Keaton said, shooting him a fang bearing, half-smile. "I know all about being part of a pack."

"S-sorry! Incredibly sorry," Laslow said, searching blindly for his towel and slipping on the cool deck as he attempted to get out.

"You alright? It's not like you to just barge in without at least making some sort of flirty remark," Keaton said, putting his arm around a furious Charlotte.

"I'm fine," he said, rubbing his bruised tailbone and sighing.

"It's about Lady Corrin," Charlotte said. "Selena told me."

Laslow clenched his fists at his sides. He was _so_ going to tell Cordelia someday.

"Does the entire army know, per chance?" Laslow asked, wondering if that was why Corrin seemed so bubbly earlier.

"I doubt it. She only told me and Beruka," Charlotte said. "But if you want my advice, and even if you don't you're going to get it anyway as your punishment for walking in on us, you should just go ask her. Lady Corrin is beautiful, and if you act like you aren't interested, she's just going to drop you to find someone else. Selena might be right about some girls, but Lady Corrin isn't like most girls."

"I've noticed," Laslow said quietly, blushing as he thought back to their time at the Butterfly House and in the woods.

She was absolutely something special. Outgoing despite her isolated upbringing. Compassionate despite her ruthless father. Everything about her was so completely different than what she ought to have been like. Laslow couldn't flirt with her like he did with other women because she just wasn't other women.

"Thank you," he said.

"We'll keep this warm for you and Lady Corrin next," Keaton called, growling as Charlotte squealed.

* * *

When Laslow finally found Corrin, she was hacking away at a training dummy behind the castle. She looked positively furious, her eyes narrowed into dangerous slits as she slashed all of the stuffing out of one dummy.

"I think it's trying to politely surrender," Laslow called, hopping the fence.

"Great," Corrin said, flicking one sweaty strand of hair out of her eyes. "You can take its place then."

She handed Laslow a sword, or rather, _threw_ Laslow a sword. He looked at her completely bewildered, but her harsh expression didn't falter. Instead, she widened her stance and made a "come hither" motion with her hand.

"Corrin, about earlier—" Laslow started, lowering the sword.

Corrin launched herself towards him, bringing down the sword near his chest. He quickly parried, hopping backwards and holding his own sword out defensively.

"Don't…worry…about…it," Corrin said through gritted teeth, slashing at him like he was nothing more than a Faceless.

"No, you need to hear this," Laslow said, blocking every one of her hits with ease.

"Guess all of that dancing has made you lighter on your feet than me," Corrin said, spinning and attempting to get at him from the side.

"I don't know if Selena told you, but—" Laslow started, but was quickly cut off by a leap from behind.

"You talk too much," Corrin said, her breathing growing ragged she continued to bounce about in every which way.

"And you don't listen," Laslow said, spinning once in a perfect twirl and knocking the sword from Corrin's hand.

She stumbled backwards and Laslow caught her from behind. Her arms instinctively reached for his neck to keep herself from falling, her chest heaving and her eyes wild.

"There," Laslow said softly.

"I'm sorry," Corrin said, shaking her head and averting her gaze from his. "It's not you. I was just frustrated that everyone has been ignoring me all day today. It's like I have the plague or something!"

Laslow chuckled, and pulled Corrin to her feet. "Well, I don't know about the plague, but them avoiding you has sort of been my fault."

"What do you mean?" Corrin asked.

"They know that I want to ask you to tea," Laslow said, turning his back to her so that she couldn't see his sudden blush.

"You do that every day," Corrin said, and Laslow winced.

"I know, but this time it was going to be different," he said.

Taking a deep breath, he turned back towards her and took her hand in his. She was looking at him with wide eyes, her gaze darting between his face and their hands.

"Your hand is shaking," she breathed.

"I know," Laslow said. "That's because I want to ask you out for tea."

"Laslow—" Corrin started.

"And yes, I want it to be a date. I want to get to know you, the real you. This isn't just some flirtatious ploy. I'm serious," he said.

"Yes," Corrin said suddenly and quietly, almost as if she didn't speak at all.

"Another no. It's alright, my feelings aren't hurt," Laslow said, dropping her hand and turning to walk away.

Corrin reached to grab his hand. "Now _you're_ the one who isn't listening."

Laslow's eyes widened in surprise. "You mean it? You'll go with me?"

Corrin nodded. "You're different than I thought. Tea could be, umm, fun."

Laslow breathed a sigh of relief and jumped into the air excitedly, dragging Corrin along with him since he had forgotten to let go of her hand first. Corrin laughed, yanking her arm back and rolling her eyes.

"You won't regret this. I'll make sure you have the most wonderful day," Laslow said.

"You will," she said, and Laslow wasn't sure if she was challenging him, reassuring him, or both.

Knowing Corrin, it was probably both.

"Atta boy, Laslow!" Selena cheered.

"My comrade! I knew you wouldn't fail!" Odin said, clenching his fist near his heart.

Laslow and Corrin turned to see Odin and Selena peering at them from behind a tree. Laslow turned beat red and Corrin just laughed. He really went to all of that trouble for one little date? She knew she had to watch out, because if he kept this up, they wouldn't only be going on one date.


	5. The Cottage by the Creek

**Quick Info~**

Are you ready to hop on the train to Cheese Central? Stops along the way include Fluff Town, Mushy Ville, and Blush Corner. Population? Laslow and Corrin, of course. Anyway, stupid jokes aside, this is an incredibly fluffy chapter that I adored writing! All of your guys' support has been beyond amazing and I hope I'm still doing Laslow, Corrin, and the rest of the the cameos justice. This may have been one of my favorite chapters to write so far, so I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do!

* * *

 **Drabble 5: The Cottage by the Creek**

"Do I look alright?" Corrin asked, smoothing the front of her dress with her palms.

Camilla's heart probably would've popped out of her chest if it could've. She was looking at Corrin like it was her wedding day. Sniffing back a sob, Camilla grabbed her and forced her into a tight embrace.

"You look so incredibly adorable!" Camilla exclaimed, squishing Corrin harder and harder against her body.

"Thank you…but Camilla, I can't breathe," Corrin said, her voice muffled by Camilla's breasts.

"Sorry, little sister," Camilla said. "But I can't help it! You're just so darned cute!"

She let Corrin go and tipped her chin up with one hand, using the other to tuck Corrin's long blonde hair behind her ear.

"He better know that if he even tries anything funny I'm going to crush him like the little bug he is," Camilla said, her eyes smiling despite the menace in her words.

"I doubt he will," Corrin said. "He's actually pretty shy when you get past all of the shallow flirting. But Camilla, do you think this dress is too much?"

Corrin had picked up the dress secretly on one of her trips to the market. It looked stunning on the mannequin, and Corrin was particularly tired of wearing armor the day she purchased it. Tiny yellow daisies were spread out against the white cotton and it was the first sleeveless thing that she had ever worn in public.

"Not at all," Camilla said. "You're putting out a lot less than I did on my first date."

"That's because I don't have as much to put out," Corrin teased, looking down at her own chest.

"My little sister," Camilla said, sighing. "I can't believe you're growing up so fast."

"I'll always be your little sister, though," Corrin said, giving Camilla a reassuring smile. "Anyway, it's about time I meet Laslow."

Corrin opened the door and took a deep breath. Laslow was already standing by the entrance to the castle. From the looks of it, he seemed quite calm. Although, she knew he was probably anything but. From the moment that they had decided on which day to go out, he had been sheepish in every conversation they had.

Corrin wasn't sure what to make of her own feelings. Laslow made her happy, and that was simple enough for now. She didn't bother putting much stock into something that she hadn't even experienced yet.

Laslow, however, had spent the last few days worrying about every little thing. Was it going to rain? Was Corrin going to cancel? Or get sick? And what if _he_ had to cancel or got sick? Selena, quite literally, had to slap the sense back into him before he went insane.

"Be safe!" Camilla called, waving to Corrin.

"Will do!" Corrin called back, taking a few shaky steps towards Laslow.

Camilla had suggested that she wear a pair of pink high heels to compliment the spring colors on her dress. Corrin always preferred to go barefoot, so the added height made it nearly impossible for her to walk.

"You look stunning," Laslow breathed, taking Corrin's hand and bringing it to his lips.

"Thanks," Corrin said, shifting awkwardly in the heels. "You look pretty good, too."

"Thanks," Laslow squeaked, his eyes widening and his cheeks turning pink.

"So do you know which tea place you want to go to?" Corrin asked after a period of awkward silence.

Laslow nodded. "Of course. It's just a little way up the road."

"Alright, shall we go?" Corrin asked.

"After you, milady," Laslow said, flashing her a shining grin and holding out his arm for her to take.

Corrin rested her hand in his arm and concentrated as hard as she could on not tripping as they left the camp. It was quite beautiful considering how gloomy Nohr usually looked. Springtime was always Corrin's favorite season. Looking out from the gates of castle, the flowers blooming and the birds chirping were always something she looked forward to.

And somehow, waiting long enough to experience it with Laslow was completely worth it. He looked like he was made to live somewhere with an eternal spring. His elegance, even coupled with embarrassment, was undeniable.

Corrin found herself staring at him before she realized she was doing it.

"Is something wrong?" Laslow asked.

"What? Oh, no. No. Not at all," Corrin said hurriedly, switching her gaze to the trees, the ground, anything that wasn't directly on him.

"You're not falling for me, are you?" Laslow teased, grinning at her and blinking innocently.

She rolled her eyes. "Don't be obnoxious. I was just—"

Before Corrin had time to think of an excuse, she felt her ankle give out and her view start to switch from the sky to the ground in an instant. She held her hands out in front of her to brace her fall, but they never made it far enough.

Laslow was extremely close to her face. So close that she could make out nearly every detail on it. And his entire body was wrapped around her like a cocoon, braced tightly in order to successfully keep her from falling. It was like he had done it without even thinking about it and, as much as she didn't want to admit it, she felt nervous being so close to him.

"It was just an expression, Corrin," Laslow said, chuckling.

"I know that!" Corrin retorted. "It's these high heels."

She sat up, rubbing her ankle and wincing. Laslow reached forward and grabbed the clasp holding the shoe to her foot. In one swift motion he successfully took it off and then reached for the other.

"What are you doing?" Corrin asked.

Laslow smiled. "I'll carry them for you. Besides, you act much more comfortably without these big, clunky things on."

"But Camilla said that all guys love a girl in heels," Corrin muttered, more to herself than to him.

Laslow let out a gentle laugh. It was musical and tinkling, and it made Corrin blush even more furiously.

"I think you would look beautiful wearing a garbage bag," he said, and held out his hand to help her up.

She grabbed it, her insides squirming into knots, and stood.

"Although, that dress does make you look quite adorable," Laslow added quietly, covering his face to keep her from seeing his blush.

It didn't take much longer to get to the teahouse that Laslow was talking about. It was a cute little shop in a cute little thicket. The owner had planted various types of pastel colored flowers, and they lined the walkway to the entrance. The shop itself was covered in vines blooming tiny white blossoms and each of the windows were crisscrossed with aged wood.

"Laslow!" the owner said as soon as they entered the shop. "Finally convinced a pretty girl to come with you?"

"The prettiest of them all," Laslow said earnestly.

The owner took them to a table by the window, in perfect view of all of the flowers. The table had a tea set already laid out. The teacups were decorated with cherry blossoms and the teapot depicted an old Nohrian cottage nestled near a creek.

"Oh my," the owner said, staring at Corrin. "I didn't realize who I was serving. My apologies, Princess Corrin."

Corrin smiled. "Please don't apologize. I'm here on a date, so don't worry about formalities."

The owner nodded, then smiled coyly. "How did a fool like Laslow end up with such a beautiful woman?" he asked.

Laslow opened his mouth to protest, but Corrin managed to answer first.

"He never gave up," she said simply, and it was enough to send Laslow's stomach into a butterfly frenzy.

"Then what'll it, lovebirds?" the owner asked.

Corrin looked at Laslow expectantly, but he didn't falter. "I thought it would be fun to sample a few different teas," he said.

"Alright, I'll bring out five of my best for each of you," the owner said, scribbling something illegible in his notepad.

It didn't take long for the tea to arrive. Corrin picked a simple green tea, while Laslow went for the sweeter cinnamon chai.

"You have to try this!" Corrin exclaimed, sipping from her cup.

Laslow couldn't help but laugh. Despite her efforts to be dainty, she had already managed to spill a majority of her cup's contents onto the table and the napkin on her lap. Apparently, Nohrian royals never took etiquette classes.

The pair spent the rest of the afternoon sipping each other's teas and ranking their favorites. Conversation with Laslow was one of the easiest things Corrin had done. He wowed her with tales from his past that, if she was being honest, she didn't know if she could really believe. He even charmed her with the simplest gentlemanly efforts. And the longer that they sat there, the more Corrin realized that she didn't want it to end.

"I have one more place to take you," Laslow said, taking one last, big gulp and setting his teacup on the table.

"And where's that?" Corrin asked, moving her spoon around absently in her teacup.

"It's a surprise of sorts," he replied simply.

Laslow paid the owner, who wished them well, and then began walking with Corrin further into the woods. The sun had just begun to set, leaving an orangey glow on the ground. Corrin wasn't sure where they were going, and Laslow was being awfully quiet.

"It's right through here," he said, pulling back a few tangled tree branches.

When Corrin stepped through, she gasped. A creek, much like the one on the teapot, was trickling along a rocky shore. And an old cottage was set warmly in front of it. The way that the sun was setting perfectly illuminated the cottage, making it look more like something out a fairytale than an actual place.

"The owner of the tea shop got his inspiration for the design on the teapots by visiting this place," Laslow explained. "I didn't believe him, so I went to check it out for myself."

"I can't believe this is still standing! It must be ancient!" Corrin exclaimed, running her hand along the side of the cottage and listening to the wood creak soothingly.

"After looking into it some more, I found out that almost no one ventures this far out into the woods so the house has been virtually untouched since it was abandoned. I haven't been able to get inside, though. Xander said that King Garon must've had someone seal all of the entrances up to preserve it," Laslow said.

"That doesn't sound like Father," Corrin muttered.

"But there is one thing I found that I wanted to show you," Laslow said, quickly averting her attention.

Laslow took Corrin's hand and led her up the steps of the cottage. The deck had a porch swing, a quaint table with two chairs, and an old radio propped up on it. Laslow walked over to the radio and shot Corrin a teasing grin.

"Since we've been working on your waltz, I was wondering if you would like to try it with music," Laslow said.

Corrin laughed sarcastically. "Yeah, I'm a real master now."

Laslow messed with the knobs on the radio, attempting to find a station that played slow enough music to dance to. As soon as he found one, he walked towards Corrin with his hands extended. She stood in her waltzing position, as stiff as a board, and Laslow laughed.

"Dancing is about feeling," he whispered, his breath near her ear making her shiver. "Try to feel something this time."

Corrin nodded and took a deep breath. Laslow took a step effortlessly and Corrin followed. Every time she tried to drop her eyes to her feet, Laslow cooed her name softly, forcing her to look only at him.

As the moon rose on the creek, Corrin was no longer worried about stepping on Laslow's feet or tripping over her own. She wasn't better at dancing by any means, but she wasn't self conscious about it either.

The night was slowly making the air cooler and Corrin's dress didn't cover much, causing her to unknowingly step closer to Laslow's body for warmth. It wasn't until he was only inches away from her face that she realized she had gotten closer than she thought. As the music played, Laslow's hands had dropped around her waist and hers had found their way around his neck. They were swaying slowly, the wood underneath them creaking in rhythm with the music.

Laslow leaned in closer, his breath fanning out on her cheeks. Corrin found her eyes fluttering closed and her head tilting upward. When his lips met hers, she felt like her insides were exploding. It was like everything inside of her had been patiently rooting for her to kiss him. From the way that his hands were trembling, she was sure that his insides were feeling the same way.

Laslow found himself smiling into the kiss and Corrin could feel him slowly lifting her off of the ground. Suddenly, he spun her around, his hands firmly on her waist and his lips gently moving in suit with hers.

When they finally broke apart, Corrin could see the grin plastered on his face.

"Dancing typically doesn't leave me feeling so lightheaded," Laslow whispered as he set Corrin down.

She giggled softly. "I think I'm getting better at it. I only stepped on your feet twice."

"I'd correct you, but then you might not kiss me again," he teased.

"Laslow?" Corrin started, moving her hands to rest on his chest.

"Hmm?"

"I don't think there's a whole lot you could do right now to keep me from kissing you again," she said cheekily.

Her blunt response made him completely lock up. The blush quickly spread from his cheeks to the rest of his face and he smiled weakly at her.

"You're using this to your advantage now," he said.

"What can I say? You're cute when you're embarrassed," she answered, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, preparing to kiss him until he turned red all over.


	6. A Man For Flowers

**Quick Info** ~

Hey guys! Since this is a drabble series told through vignettes, we're going to skip a couple of months in between the last chapter and this one. It's another cute, fluffy chapter, but it also takes a look into Laslow's life. If you've played Awakening, then it's old news. (but definitely not old feels, amirite?) If you haven't, then I suppose I should tag this one as **spoilers for Awakening.** Also if you can guess where I got the title from, then brownie points for you! Thank you again to everyone reading this! I can't say it enough. I truly am so thankful for all of you! And to the responses mentioning the radio on the last chapter, I suppose I wasn't aware of all of the technology (or in this case, lack thereof) involved in Fire Emblem. I'm happy you guys were still able to finish the chapter, and I'll definitely be more conscious of the nuances within the game in the future!

* * *

 **Drabble 6:** **A Man For Flowers**

"I'm with him, for better or for worse," Corrin said proudly.

"It'll probably be for worse," Leo warned, neatly folding a pile of inside-out shirts. "He may be Xander's retainer, but that doesn't make him any less of a hopeless idiot."

"Says the man folding all of his shirts inside-out," Corrin teased, raising an eyebrow and smirking.

Leo groaned and picked up the pile of shirts before throwing them askew in his quarters.

"I don't have the patience for this today," he mumbled, stooping to the ground and attempting to fix a shirt closest to him.

* * *

Unfortunately for Corrin, her conversation with Leo was the last one she had before immediately regretting putting all of her faith in Laslow.

"So you're sure that you know where we're going?" Corrin asked.

"Definitely," Laslow said, although the chipper tone to his voice was slowly starting to decay the further they wandered in the darkening woods.

Corrin's navigating skills were great…if she was trying to find the quickest route from her room to the kitchen without alerting Jakob. Finding anything outside of the castle walls was another story. She might as well have been blind. Laslow, however, wasn't born in Nohr. Despite not knowing his origin, Corrin figured he had to have traveled enough to at least know the basics of their surroundings.

And through that thought process, Corrin chose Laslow to accompany her to stake out a band of Hoshidan archers that were presumably camping in the woods near the castle.

But there wasn't a single archer in sight. In fact, Corrin was completely confident that not one living creature ever stepped foot in the woods that they were searching.

"Didn't we pass that boulder an hour ago?" Corrin asked, pointing to a giant, mossy rock in the distance.

Laslow sighed and looked over his shoulder. "There can't be more than one boulder in the woods at a time?" he asked, although Corrin could tell that he knew she was right.

She had found out a lot of things about him since they first started dating. As the months wore on, she figured out that he absolutely loathed dancing in front of people, loved to stay out late and sleep in even later, and that he liked making people laugh, sushi, and blackberries. He was shy as all get out the second that Corrin tried to flirt with him, yet he was nearly irritatingly flirting whenever she was busy.

But she knew absolutely nothing about where he came from or why he was in Nohr.

"Just admit that we're lost and let's call it a night," Corrin said, reaching out to grab his hand.

He took it, though reluctant, and turned to face her. "You trusted me with a mission and I let you down," he said, hanging his head.

Corrin felt her heart pang. She forgot that he was also a complete puppy dog in every sense of the word. Laslow strived for approval like no one she had ever met.

"No you didn't," Corrin said, attempting to sound reassuring. "We can just sleep out in the woods tonight and finish the mission when we can actually see where we're going."

"In the woods? With you? _Alone?"_ Inigo asked flirtatiously, brushing his fingers gently down her cheek.

Corrin rolled her eyes; although, she was unable to keep a small grin off of her lips. She hoped that he couldn't see it in the dark.

"Yes. With me. All _alone_ ," Corrin purred, trailing one finger up Laslow's chest and resting it on his lips.

She could feel his skin nearly instantaneously heat and she grinned satisfactorily.

"It's not fair that you do this to me now," Laslow muttered, his words slightly muffled underneath Corrin's finger.

"You could try your best to fluster me," Corrin said, shrugging. "But I promise you it won't work as easily as you want it to."

"Is that a challenge… _love_?" Laslow asked, raising his eyebrows.

Corrin gulped, feeling her insides squirm at the nickname. His accent coupled with his flirty grin was enough to make anyone turn to mush on the spot, and Laslow had a knack for using it at the most inopportune times. She was absolutely mortified the first time that he said it. Out loud. In public. And with her siblings there to witness her cherry-red cheeks no less!

"Gonna have to try harder than that," Corrin said, although her voice had grown ever-so-slightly shaky. "Why don't we make this a game?"

"And what type of game do you purpose?" Laslow asked.

"We'll flirt with each other until one of us— _you_ —either can't take it anymore, or until one of us— _you_ —kisses the other," Corrin said.

"And when one of us— _you_ —loses, what's the punishment? Because if it's just until one of us kisses the other, I'm willing to lose right now," Laslow said, flashing Corrin another brilliant smile.

"Loser has to tell the winner a deep, dark secret," Corrin said, holding out her hand for him to shake. "Deal?"

Laslow eyed her hand warily, but eventually nodded and grabbed it. "Deal," he said.

They eyed each other for a moment, each evaluating the current state of their partner. Corrin wasn't as easily shaken as Laslow, but when she finally snapped, it was insantly over. Laslow, on the other hand, could melt like a Popsicle on a summer day if Corrin got to him quickly enough.

"You know," Laslow started, lacing his fingers with hers and bending down towards her ear. "I was going to bring you some flowers for our mission today, but I just couldn't seem to find any that captured your beauty elegantly enough."

Corrin stifled a laugh, pulling her hands away from his. "Did you try that on girls in the past, too? I can see why they didn't want to go out with you."

Laslow pouted for a moment, staring at Corrin's smiling face indignantly. However, he quickly recovered and moved so close to her face that his eyelashes were nearly brushing her skin and his lips nearly touching hers.

"If I did, I didn't mean it," he murmured. "At least not like I do with you. You're breathtaking, Corrin. In every way possible."

He could feel Corrin's lips quirk into a smile and she moved her hands to clasp lazily around his waist.

"Wanna know something?" Corrin asked, her voice barely a whisper. "I was taking a nap the other day and Elise walked in. She asked if I was having a good dream because apparently I was whispering your name."

Laslow chuckled and he reached up to cup her face with his hands. "I feel like I'm in a dream every time we're together because I didn't believe reality could get this wonderful."

"Laslow," Corrin crooned.

"Mmm?" he managed to utter.

"I think I might be—"

Corrin's words were cut off with a kiss. Laslow pressed her tightly against him, infusing his movements with such an insane amount of passion that Corrin felt as though they might combust. Her eyes fluttered shut as she parted her lips, deepening the kiss. Laslow responded eagerly, and he was never happier to have lost a bet in his entire life.

Corrin wasn't sure how long they stood there like that, but by the time that Laslow broke away, they were both out of breath and red in the face.

"Pride aside, I'm happy you did that when you did because I was about to lose it," Corrin admitted, her gaze glued to her feet as she pushed her hair behind her ear.

Laslow chuckled and pulled her into his arms. "Bet or not, I'm happy to know that you feel just as strongly for me as I do for you."

"Of course I do," Corrin said. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Is that the deep, dark secret you want me to tell you?" Laslow asked.

"Not exactly," Corrin said.

"Then it looks as though you're out of luck on getting an answer to that," Laslow teased and Corrin punched him playfully in the arm.

Laslow took the backpack off of his shoulder and pulled out a large fleece blanket. Shaking it open, he set it on the ground and smoothed out the clumps of dirt underneath it.

"Is that all you were carrying in there this whole time?" Corrin asked, turning the backpack upside down and waiting for something to fall out.

"A man can't hope for a little bit of cuddling with a beautiful princess?" Laslow asked.

Corrin scoffed. "Cute, but unnecessary."

As the night grew on, Corrin found herself cuddling up next to Laslow. Despite the fact that there was only one blanket and that blanket was used to cushion the hard, woodland floor, Laslow was warm enough to keep the chilly night air at bay.

Corrin's eyes were drooping, her head bobbing sleepily on Laslow's chest.

"Finally ready for bed?" Laslow asked gently, squeezing her shoulder and slumping down the trunk of the tree they were propped up against.

"No, wait," Corrin said. "I haven't thought of a question yet."

"Maybe it'll come to you in the morning," Laslow suggested. "We need our strength to finish scouting the area tomorrow."

Corrin nodded, and turned sideways, tucking her bare feet underneath his warm legs and resting her head underneath his chin.

"Goodnight, love," Laslow whispered, planting a kiss on her forehead.

"I thought of the question," Corrin said sleepily. "Where are you from?"

Laslow froze, completely and utterly unsure of how to answer. He knew that she would eventually want to know where he was born and how he came to be Xander's retainer, but he had been so engrossed with getting to know her that he completely forgot about his own backstory. Or rather, lack thereof.

He couldn't lie to her. He simply couldn't. But the truth wasn't exactly something easy to swallow in one take. And if he did tell her the truth, would she even believe him?

"Laslow?" Corrin started, peering up at him, her eyelids heavy. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

Laslow looked down at her and found himself smiling. In his arms, cuddling up next to him was the most fascinating woman he had ever met. If he was being honest with himself, he was completely enamored with her. So he took a deep breath, looked up at the stars, and decided to tell her the truth.

"I doubt you've heard of it, since it's so far away from Nohr. I won't bore you with geographical details, though," Laslow said, running his fingers through Corrin's long hair as she nuzzled back into him sleepily. "I was born to a loving father and mother. I was so unbelievably shy that my mother was convinced shyness was some sort of genetic disease for a while."

Corrin giggled and Laslow felt the tightness in his chest begin to loosen.

"So she taught me to dance and she taught me how to talk to women, since they were the most perplexing creatures. I was as happy as I could be, and that lasted for all of my childhood."

"Then what happened?" Corrin asked, her fingers gripping the neckline of Laslow's shirt as they brushed against his chest soothingly.

"Well…my mother and father passed away rather unexpectedly," Laslow continued. "Remember that dance I was trying to piece together all of those months ago? The woman I mentioned was my mother. It's the last piece I have of her and preserving that dance is the very least I can do to keep her memory alive."

Corrin was silent and still for a moment. She couldn't believe that Laslow, as happy and dorky and positive as he was, lost two of the most important people in his life. She felt her heart ache for him.

"Laslow, I—"

"You don't have to say anything," Laslow said. "I'm coming to terms with it. You could even say that, in a way, I'm trying to fix what happened."

Corrin sat up, her face illuminated by the moonlight in a nearly ethereal way.

"I think you're one of the bravest people I've ever met," she said loudly and blatantly, as if every creature and every object in the woods needed to know.

Laslow smiled. "Only because I knew that if I kept pushing I would eventually meet you."

"Me?" Corrin asked.

Laslow's eyes widened and he blushed. Taking her hand, he swiftly brought it to his lips and planted a quick kiss on the soft flesh there. "Never mind. You said only one deep, dark secret so quit trying to weasel more out of me with that adorable face."

Laslow tapped Corrin's nose playfully and she scrunched it up in response.

"Fair enough," she murmured, sleep desperately grasping at her once more.

Sometime during the rest of the night, while Corrin drifted in and out of a dreamless sleep, she looked Laslow in the eyes and cuddled up next to him as close as she could possibly get.

"It's a good thing you kissed me," she whispered, her eyes shut tight. "If you didn't, I was going to tell you that I think I'm falling in love with you."

She sighed, letting unconsciousness take over once again. When he was sure that she was asleep again, Laslow opened one eye and smiled.

"It's a good thing I kissed you," he whispered back, placing another gentle kiss on her forehead. "If I didn't, I probably would've told you that I think I'm falling in love with you, too."


	7. Across the Stars

**Quick Info~**

I think that out of everything I've written so far, this chapter shows the most sides of Laslow. I love how the creators developed him and I think he's incredibly well-rounded (despite being a little shallow upon first meeting him). Anyway, this chapter made me sad and then made me happy, so I hope you guys experience all of the emotions I did while writing it! And I just wanted to give a big thank you to everyone following this, and a special shoutout to Kuroyuki no Ryu who drew the first fan art I've ever received for any of my stories. Their art is incredibly adorable and you guys should all go check it out on deviant art (it'll also eventually be the cover photo for this story as soon as I can get back on my laptop). I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

One last thing, if you haven't played the game past the first eight (ten?) chapters yet, there's a **spoiler.** So just be warned while reading!

* * *

 **Drabble 7: Across the** **Stars**

"Duck!" Corrin yelled, whipping her head back towards Laslow and watching as he blinked once, then twice, and fell backwards as the force of the shuriken hit him square in the forehead.

It was made of some sort of soft clay substance, so thankfully it couldn't pierce like a real shuriken. A few Hoshidan were extremely skilled in throwing kunai, so Kaze had made fake replicas that threw somewhat similarly in order for Corrin's team to learn how to dodge them accurately.

"Laslow!" Peri whined, stomping her foot childishly and staring at him with her large, crocodile-tear-filled eyes.

"Sorry," Laslow said sheepishly, rubbing his forehead and grinning.

"Honestly you've got to be more careful," Leo scolded, shutting his spell book with enough force to make the training grounds echo with a loud clap. "If that was a real shuriken, you'd have been dead."

"And if you die then Corrin will be sad!" Elise said, peeping at him from her defensive position behind Xander.

"I don't think that's really the point," Corrin muttered, but gave her little sister a generous smile nevertheless.

"I suppose I'm little bit off of my game today," Laslow said, regaining his footing and gripping the kunai tightly in his fist.

Kaze clapped once and the entire army stiffened at the sound. His ninja background made him naturally rather quiet. He much preferred to observe rather than speak, something that a majority of the Nohrian army struggled with. However, when Kaze meant business, everyone within a five-mile radius better have been ready to listen.

"Laslow," Kaze started coolly. "Throw that shuriken at Lady Corrin."

"What?" Laslow asked incredously, his gaze darting from Kaze to Corrin rapidly.

"It's fake," Corrin said, readying her defensive stance. "Bring it on!"

Laslow swallowed hard, the ground feeling shaky and his head swimming dizzily. He squinted, rearing back to launch the kunai at Corrin. _His_ Corrin. The Corrin that he was irrevocably and completely….

"Throw it, Laslow," Xander said sternly, his booming authoritative voice shaking Laslow to his core.

He couldn't disobey Xander, so he took a deep breath, nodded, and launched the shuriken at Corrin. She smiled and held out her hand to block it. It clipped the top of her fingertips and she swiftly shot her hand to her side, redirecting the shuriken into the sand at her feet.

"Lady Corrin," Kaze said, stooping down to pick up the shuriken. "With all due respect, if you try that technique with a real one, the blade can pierce right through your skin. Try to dodge it next time."

Corrin nodded, examining the tips of her fingers. The fake shuriken actually managed to break the skin. She wiped the blood off on her pants and looked up to give Laslow a reassuring smile.

But Laslow, however, was nowhere to be found.

"Did anyone see where Laslow went?" Corrin asked, feeling her throat begin to tighten with an odd feeling of dread.

The army looked back at her with equally confused expressions and Corrin sighed. He must've ducked out while everyone was listening to Kaze. She tried to put his disappearance out of her mind to focus on their training, but she couldn't help thinking about him. The expression that he gave her before he threw the shuriken was one she had never seen before. It was almost as if he wasn't even looking at her. Like he was a million miles away in another time.

The training lasted until the sun began to set. It was easy for Corrin to tell who was naturally good at dodging and throwing, and who was struggling. Niles was absolutely dreadful, probably the worst of the team. Jakob, however, might've been able to knock someone's head off with the fake ones if he needed to. Xander was naturally good at everything, so this was just another easy task for him. Everyone else fell somewhere in the middle, and if Kaze seemed satisfied with their progress, then Corrin was, too.

When Corrin didn't see Laslow at dinner, her quarters, his quarters, the bathhouse, or anywhere else on the grounds, she knew something must have been really bothering him. And in turn, she knew exactly where to look.

"How did you find me?" Laslow asked.

"This is sort of the 'I'm extraordinarily upset' spot," Corrin said softly.

"If I knew it was so famous, I would've chosen differently," Laslow said, shaking his head and letting out a monosyllabic chuckle.

From the kneecap down, Laslow's legs were hanging off of one of the scouting towers attached to the castle. He was kicking his feet aimlessly, his hands clutching the bars that kept people from falling off of the tower. His head was resting against the cool metal as his gaze fixated on anything that wasn't Corrin sitting directly beside him.

She tentatively moved one hand to rest on his thigh and she winced as the flesh there twitched.

"Not everyone knows about it," Corrin continued, her voice almost like a lullable. Quiet, comforting, and slow. "Just me."

Laslow didn't respond. He could already feel his cheeks burning with embarrassment. He had let the whole army down. He let Lord Xander down. But most importantly, he let Corrin down. He doubted she still trusted him to be a valuable member of the team after his escapist act earlier.

"When I was little, I'd come out here and pretend like I was tall enough to touch the stars," Corrin said, smiling up at the full, bright moon like she was looking at a memory rather than a rock floating in space. "It made me feel like I wasn't so trapped. Like I could go anywhere I wanted if I just reached high enough."

"Well, I'd like to be anywhere but here right now," Laslow muttered.

"Why?" Corrin asked.

Laslow sighed and fell backwards, using his hands to cradle his head from the hard cement floor.

"I'm sorry that I let you down," he said quietly, his voice strained.

"You didn't," Corrin said, shaking her head and falling backwards to lie beside him, resting her hands on her stomach. "But I was worried."

Corrin reached out to grab his hand, but Laslow let out a gasp when he saw her fingers. She managed to bandage them, but the faintest tint of blood succeeded in seeping through.

"I hurt you," he whispered hoarsely, his eyes wide with fear.

"No," Corrin said, pulling her hand back and hiding it from his view. "I was the one who didn't dodge it properly."

"I don't understand how you guys can stand there and throw weapons at each other like it's a game," Laslow said.

"It's not a game," Corrin corrected, frowning. "It's training. Saizo is one of the best ninjas that Hoshido has and he also happens to be Kaze's brother. If we ever face him we have to know—"

"By making me throw fake blades at you?" Laslow asked incredulously, fury rising in his voice with every word.

He stood up and, when she followed suit, he turned his back to her.

"I wouldn't expect you to understand," he said, clenching his fists at his side. "It's not like you've seen anyone you care about die before."

Corrin opened her mouth to retort, but knew that it was futile. Despite seeing Mikoto die and watch the unparalleled pain that her birth siblings went through, she could never honestly admit that the pain she felt was anywhere near that. Even though Mikoto was her mother, too, she didn't know her. Not really, anyway.

But Laslow had lost both of his parents. He must've felt the same way that her Hoshidan siblings felt. And knowing that, there was no way that Corrin could've thrown that shuriken at him if the roles were reversed. Aiming to kill those you love, even with fake weapons that couldn't actually do the job, was still aiming to kill.

"Raising my hand to you like that wouldn't be so hard if I didn't… If I wasn't…" Laslow's voice broke and he turned around to face her, tears pooling in his eyes.

Corrin stayed silent, her heart beating fervently in her chest. It wasn't until he smiled at her that she broke down, too. That beautiful smile that had seen too much pain was still whole enough to look like art.

"If I wasn't in love with you," he finished quietly, wiping his eyes with the back of his hands.

Corrin nearly collapsed forward as one hand clamped over her mouth. The tears leaked through the cracks between her fingers as she stood in silence, wondering if what he said could possibly be real.

"I think I've known for awhile," Laslow admitted. "I would just clam up every time I wanted to tell you."

Corrin stayed silent. Her chest was heaving but she felt like she couldn't breathe. Laslow was in love with her. For real.

"I'm starting to think I shouldn't have said something so soon," Laslow said nervously, chuckling as he stepped forward to wipe the tears from her cheeks.

"No, Laslow, I…I love you, too," Corrin whispered hoarsely, her hot breath brushing over his fingers.

Laslow froze, his finger shaking against her cheek. Then, as if the invisible cord restraining his body had snapped, he flung forward all at once, enveloping Corrin in his arms.

Corrin sighed into his chest, taking in every part of him. The rapid beating of his heart against her ear. The faintest hint of mint accompanied with some sort of flowery cologne. The way that his fingers were getting all tangled up her hair like he couldn't possibly get enough of her. The way that she could feel that was in love with her without him even needing to say it.

"I don't think that I need to reach any further," Laslow whispered suddenly.

"What?" Corrin asked, giggling and lifting her head to stare at him.

"You said you used to reach for the stars because they could take you anywhere you wanted to go. But I've already reached them…and they're _you_ ," he said, staring up at the moon and smiling.

Corrin felt the breath rush out of her body at his words. That was Laslow. Cheesy, completely and utterly cliché, but he meant every word he said with such conviction that she couldn't help but believe him.

So when she kissed him and felt like she had finally reached the stars, she believed it, too.


	8. Baby, It's Cold Outside

**Quick Info~**

I decided that since it's been so rainy where I live recently, a chapter about winter is fitting (for someone who doesn't get to experience snow in the winter, cold rain is a big deal for me). Anyway, since I've been writing angsty Laslow recently, I decided to switch it up for something a little more lighthearted. Since this fic is rated T, there isn't anything too mature in it. However, if you're squeamish about heavy making out or any "lusty" scenes like that, then I'd advise to skip the second half of this chapter. And for those of you who like stuff like that, then I hope you enjoy what I've written! Thanks again for all of the incredible support :) I love you guys to the moon and back!

* * *

 **Drabble 8: Baby, It's Cold Outside** (warning: some slight naughtiness)

Winter in Nohr was positively dreadful. If the bitter cold wasn't enough to make one want to burrow underneath hundreds of blankets until spring, than the heaps of snow that fell in thick sheets certainly would. Corrin was no exception to this rule, and her hatred of shoes convinced her enough to stay inside at all times.

However, Laslow was convinced that winter was the most romantic time of the year (tied with spring, summer, and fall, of course) and with that mindset, he planned frequent dates venturing out into the cold.

"I can always hold onto you if you get too chilly," he'd say, enveloping Corrin in his arms until she had to pry herself away from him.

His date ideas weren't bad. In fact, Corrin had never felt more loved. Whether it was looking at the beautifully strung lights twinkling in town or cuddling by the fire and drinking hot cocoa, Laslow was the expert in coming up with ideas that only inevitably made her fall for him more.

So when the eve of their next date was cancelled due to a scouting mission, Corrin was visibly upset. She undoubtedly needed to put her people and her drive for peace above the butterflies and the kisses and all of the sweet nothings she let Laslow whisper to her, and she was ashamed to admit that at times it was hard to choose between the two.

Thankfully, as the seasons wore on, it was evident that their army of ragtag troops was pairing off with one another. As soon as Corrin noticed this, she narrowed down the simple scouting missions to two people only. Romance and war went together like toothpaste and orange juice; yet couples falling in love worked seamlessly well when it came to battle.

"Did you put on your snow boots?" Laslow asked, lacing his own as tightly as he could pull the strings.

Corrin rolled her eyes. "I might hate shoes, but I'm not an idiot. In fact, I was just getting to it."

Laslow eyed her suspiciously, watching as she grabbed the box that she had nonchalantly kicked underneath her bed the previously evening. He chuckled quietly to himself. Corrin was as stubborn as ever, even with him. _Especially_ with him.

"So I know that we're supposed to go scouting," Laslow started hesitantly, his eyes already beginning to sparkle in that signature Laslow way. "But I thought that since I was going to take you out, I'd incorporate both into today."

"Oh yeah?" Corrin raised her eyebrows at him quizzically. "What did you have in mind?"

"If I tell you then it won't be a surprise," he said back simply.

"Why do I even bother trying?" Corrin asked exasperatedly despite being unable to keep a lighthearted giggle out of her voice.

"It's unbelievably adorable that you do, though," Laslow said, walking towards her and planting a kiss in the middle of her forehead.

"I knew I picked up a thing or two from you," Corrin responded wryly, watching with amusement as Laslow's cheeks reddened without the help of the cold air.

* * *

"I used to sneak out after snow storms when I was little with some friends," Laslow explained as he led Corrin to the top of a snowy hill.

The scouting mission was a bust, as usual, and it was only midday judging by the heat and angle of the sun hidden behind thick masses of gray clouds. Laslow was overjoyed as soon as he realized the sloping hills were also covered in snow, although Corrin couldn't exactly be sure why.

"It made our mothers sick with worry," he said, his eyes dancing in that bittersweet way whenever he talked about his past. "But it's unbelievably fun."

"Okay," Corrin said, swallowing hard as she looked down the steep hill. "What is it?"

Laslow set his shield on the ground and patted the snow around him carefully. To Corrin's surprise, he stepped inside of it, gripping the ground on either side of the shield and motioning with a single hair flip for Corrin to join him.

"You're insane," Corrin said, stepping gingerly in between his legs and nestling there.

"Ready?" he asked, his voice almost breathless with anticipation.

Before Corrin had time to answer, Laslow had already pushed off the ground and sent them slowly careening over the edge of the hill. It felt as if all of the oxygen in Corrin's lungs whooshed out of her as the chilly air nipped relentlessly at the bare skin on her face. She thought she might've been screaming, her brain felt like it was urging her to scream, but she didn't hear anything. Instead, nervous laughter bubbled up in her throat and she clutched to Laslow for dear life as they moved swiftly down the hill.

As soon as she gathered the courage to look behind her, all of the fear inside of her gut was replaced with pure wonder. Laslow was staring straight ahead, the wind whipping through his hair and his eyes wild with adrenaline. He had a blissful smile plastered on his lips and a joyful, melodic laugh filled every cold part of Corrin with warmth.

"You're crazy!" she yelled as Laslow skillfully dodged a tree while simultaneously shooting her a flirtatious grin.

"Crazy about you, yeah!" he yelled back.

They slowly skidded to a stop at the bottom of the hill. Two wind-burned faces smiled back at one another, Corrin breathless with adrenaline and Laslow breathless with delight.

"You did this as a child?" Corrin asked, still hanging onto him despite the fact that they were no longer moving.

"Every winter," Laslow said, nodding. "Ask Odin. He can tell you about the time we dared him to race headfirst into a tree. He's got some pretty disgusting stitches on top of his head."

"You grew up with Odin?" Corrin asked and Laslow froze.

"Oh, umm, yeah," he responded sheepishly, instantly dropping his gaze to the floor.

Corrin could feel that familiar burning desire boiling away inside of her like lava. The desire to know more about the past that he was so secretive about. But the longer she stared in anticipation at him, the less intense the feeling became. He had his reasons for not wanting to say anything, and if Corrin wanted to be with him then that was just something she needed to accept.

"Well, that was really fun!" she exclaimed, grabbing the shield and preparing to run back up the hill. "Want to go again?"

Laslow's distressed expression disappeared and he looked up at her, flashing her another smile. "If I get to the top first, you owe me a kiss!" he said, and took off running.

Corrin wasn't sure how long they spent 'sledding', as Laslow called it, but as the sun began to set, the pair went numb with cold. Corrin's legs felt like burning jelly as Laslow took her to their final location for the date. When she saw it, she nearly dropped to her knees with thankfulness.

Three bubbling hot springs were steaming against the snow in front of them, perfectly hidden away from the hill that they had just been sledding down. Corrin glanced at Laslow and then at the springs, before curling into herself with extreme embarrassment.

"What's wrong?" Laslow asked.

"I didn't bring anything to wear," she said, and Laslow blushed furiously.

"O-oh," he managed to squeak out.

"But it's okay," she blurted.

"It…it is?" he asked, still wary as his cheeks turned virtually every shade of red under the sun.

Corrin nodded. "The steam is pretty thick and I… Well, I trust you."

"I trust you, too," he said earnestly, staring at Corrin with such intensity that she wasn't sure she'd ever be able to break their gaze.

They turned nervously away from each other, the sound of shedding clothes hitting the rocks and erratic heart beats mixing with the steamy air and trickling water.

Corrin stepped in first, lightly dipping one toe in to test the temperature. The heat rushed throughout her body as she sunk in neck-deep. Laslow followed suit, his back still turned to her. Corrin was right about the steam. It distorted anything underneath the water easily.

"So did you have a good day?" he asked, turning towards her and grinning nervously.

"It was the most fun I've had in awhile," Corrin said, closing her eyes and leaning against the rocks. "You'd be surprised how much you miss out on locked away in a castle for nearly your whole life."

"Corrin," Laslow said suddenly.

She peeped one eye open at him. "Hmm?"

"You know," he started, his voice sounding deeper, thicker, "you never did give me a kiss when I beat you up the hill."

"Oh yeah?" she said. "Well, how about I give you one now?"

Laslow's flirtatious façade faltered momentarily, another blush spreading from one cheek, across his nose, and to the other. He reached one hand out tentatively, brushing his warm fingers across her snow-bitten cheek.

Corrin shivered, his touch sending a bolt of electricity through her veins. She was sure that she sighed into his palm, but her ears were ringing too loud to hear anything. She wasn't by any means a mistress of seduction. Dating Laslow basically meant that she only needed to know a handful of flirtatious lines. Anything more than that would've sent him into a flurry of embarrassment as a red-cheeked puddle on the floor.

But for some reason, whether it was the steam in the air or the thrill of seeing her clothes strewn about on the rock above them, Laslow was holding his own. And the warmth that was pooling steadily in Corrin's stomach was making her much more skillful than a handful of cheesy pickup lines.

Her lips brushed against his slowly as her eyes fluttered shut. She could feel how tense he was beside her, his breath catching in his throat. Her lips parted, taking his in all of their fullness. Corrin heard the splash in the water before she felt Laslow's hands getting tangled in her hair. His thumbs brushed across her jawline, and she had to hold onto his waist to steady herself.

She traced her fingers along his abs, smiling to herself as they tightened with each touch. Fighting had given him strength undoubtedly, but the dancing turned his muscles lean and taut. If she kept her eyes closed long enough, it felt as though she were touching some sort of perfectly sculpted statue instead of Laslow.

"Corrin," he breathed erratically as she nipped at his lower lip.

She giggled against his lips as she heard a low groan rumble in his throat. She moved her hand and she traced one finger along the V-shape of his abdomen. It was slow enough to make him tremble, make him squirm ever so slightly. Her hand stopped just shy and she felt him inhale sharply before she—

"I was unaware that this mission required so much relaxation."

The voice Corrin heard was loud, authoritative, and definitely not Laslow's. She sprung away from Laslow like a rabbit, covering her chest despite that fact that no one could see anything anyway.

Xander, fully clad in warm fur and armor, was scowling at the pair a few rocks above them. Laslow immediately shrunk down into the water, trying to cover up the fact that he, too, was naked.

"Xander, I—" Corrin started, reaching frantically for her clothes.

"It was getting late and, due to the weather conditions, I started to get worried. Looks like I had a lot more to be worried about than I thought," Xander said.

He narrowed his eyes at Laslow, who was stunned into spluttering incoherent apologies.

"Come back with me now, or else I might have to tell Camilla about this," Xander said, the faintest hint of a challenging grin emerging.

Camilla would have Laslow's head if she found out he was in the middle of 'defiling' her precious sister. So Corrin ordered the men to turn away so she could change, and she leapt out of the water fully clothed in record time.

As Xander dragged the pair back towards the castle, Corrin couldn't help but shoot Laslow a small smile. The date had been everything she wanted it to be, despite its abrupt end. And, judging by the way Laslow was still shivering, it looked like she might even get to play doctor in the near future.


	9. Inigo

**Quick Info~**

Can you guess from the title of this drabble what it's about? After hearing him say it in his "my room" lines, I felt it was kind of anticlimactic and I think this chapter suits the way it was done in canon. Anticlimactic doesn't mean it isn't important, though. ;) My own personal headcanon is that after spending so much time together, the future kids from Awakening all picked up a little bit of one another's traits. For Laslow/Inigo's case, I think he might've picked up a bit of Yarne's hypochondriac tendencies (especially after seeing their scene together in the Hot Springs Scramble DLC for Awakening) as well as Owain's flair for theatrics - both of which are seen in this drabble. The beginning of this drabble is also a headcanon that I think would be hilarious, so I hope you guys like it, too! A million thanks again to everyone checking this out! :)

* * *

 **Drabble 9: Inigo**

"Making tea is one of the simplest yet most important tasks a retainer can provide for their Lord or Lady," Jakob explained, slapping one long ruler against the chalkboard loud enough to make the class jump.

When Xander put him in charge of training all of the retainers, he had taken to it like a duck to water. Given the freedom to actually push people around instead of merely relying on making snarky comments under his breath was a welcomed change. Needless to say, he was more than satisfied with the position. Except, of course, when his second favorite student to ridicule ditched class.

"Has anyone noticed a severe lack of perfume in class today?" Jakob asked, scanning the classroom sardonically.

The seat next to Peri and across from Niles and Odin was noticeably empty. Again. Jakob didn't necessarily mind not having Laslow there to lament about how even though Kaze is technically Corrin's retainer, he should still be allowed to train to protect her because he is, after all, the one who gets to kiss her. However, having one less person there to forcibly listen to Jakob _was_ a bit of a downer.

The class stared back at him with blank expressions until Peri rolled her eyes and raised her hand.

"He's sick today," she said. "Which is totally not fair, by the way."

Jakob smiled at Peri brightly, and the rest of the class braced themselves for the inevitable wave of sarcasm that was coming her way.

"Then perhaps you'd like to be the first one to taste test Lady Corrin's tea sample? I'm sure you'll be ready to join Laslow in no time," Jakob said, holding out a teapot emitting a strange, bitter smell.

Peri stuck her lip out into a fat pout and turned to Effie behind her. "Laslow always gets the better treatment," she griped.

* * *

"My love," Laslow said weakly, thrusting one clammy hand out from underneath layers of blankets and coughing weakly. "I am afraid our days together are coming to an end."

Corrin laughed and batted his hand away. "Don't be such a baby. It's just a little cold."

"You never know when a cold will turn into something worse!" he whined. "It could be pneumonia, or influenza, or…or—"

"I think you're going to sneeze all of the germs out of you before it has a chance to get that bad," Corrin said, amused as she watched his nose twitch in irritation.

"Is that medically accur—" he started, but was quickly cut off by the aforementioned sneeze.

Corrin raised an eyebrow and smirked as Laslow pouted, defeated into silence.

It had been nearly a week since the pair was caught canoodling in the hot springs, and Corrin thought that meant they were in the clear as far as sickness went. Although she remembered to properly dry off before trekking back through the snow, Laslow had been so flustered by Xander's sudden appearance that he put on all of his clothes still dripping wet.

The first three days back he was fine, albeit embarrassed and sheepish around Xander. On the fourth and fifth day, he tried to deny his sniffles and raspy voice by playing it off as an allergic reaction to something. But on the sixth day, he couldn't fight it any longer.

Which, of course, led to the melodramatic monologues Corrin had been hearing all morning.

"I don't even remember the last time I felt this awful," Laslow said, rolling over to one side in a pathetic attempt to wrap his arms around Corrin's waist and pull her down next to him.

"Well you should feel a little bit better after you eat something," she said.

She brought him a piping up bowl of soup mainly made up of chicken broth, noodles, and cabbage. She had to sneak around the cafeteria to avoid any I-told-you-sos from Xander, and nearly lost her head when the chef of the day—Benny—was startled seeing her hiding in the pantry.

"Do you know how wonderful you are?" Laslow asked as Corrin set the soup down in front of him.

He was staring up at her with droopy eyes, but his contagious smile remained as optimistic as ever. Corrin couldn't help but smile back.

"It's the least I can do," she said. "I sort of got us into that situation."

"No, the least you can do is come and cuddle with me," Laslow teased. "You're going above and beyond with the soup."

Corrin shook her head, but a giggle managed to escape her lips. It was most likely a bad idea to get into bed with someone so feverish, but denying Laslow's puppy eyes was like denying a literal puppy. And Corrin was definitely not that heartless.

So she climbed into bed with him and snuggled up against his chest.

"You know, this is strange," Laslow mused after a moment of silence.

"How so?" Corrin asked, tracing one finger absently along his collarbone.

"Out of all of the times I pictured having a girl in my bed, I didn't think it'd be because I was sick," he said.

Corrin sat up and raised her eyebrows at him, obviously irritated by his choice of words. He might've been all talk, but sometimes that talk wasn't something she wanted to hear.

"I risk my health for you and you repay me by telling me your perverted fantasies?" she teased.

"You're included in them, though, love," Laslow countered innocently.

"I suppose that makes it a little bit better," Corrin deadpanned.

"You don't think I still think about other girls, do you?" he asked suddenly, and the air in the room seemed to instantly fill with thick tension.

"Well, I—" Corrin started, but the high-pitched tone in her voice instantly gave away the lie that she was about to tell. So instead, she simply sighed and dropped her head in shame before muttering, "Maybe sometimes."

"I'm in love with _you_ ," Laslow said. "And that's something I could never feel for anyone else. I used to talk about true love all the time, but I never really thought it could exist for me until I met you."

The way he was smiling at her with such genuine intensity made it impossible for her not to believe him. If she really took the time to think about it, he hadn't so much as bothered to _look_ at another girl since he started asking her out all of those months ago.

"I'm sorry I doubted you," she said, leaning back down on his chest.

Laslow simply chuckled lightheartedly. "I don't blame you, given my track record. So I want to prove it to you."

"Oh?" Corrin lifted her head to stare up at him.

"It's a big secret though, so you've got to swear you won't breathe a word of it to another soul," Laslow said, wincing as he used his arms to prop himself up against the headboard of the bed.

"Cross my heart," Corrin said, making a little 'x' over her chest.

Laslow nuzzled his face into Corrin's hair, his lips just shy of brushing against her ear. It made her shiver, partially due to the fact that they were so close and also because he was burning up like a freshly stoked bonfire.

"I've never told anyone this before," he whispered. "But I want you to know that I trust you more than anything. It's about my real name."

"Laslow?" Corrin asked.

"Inigo," he corrected.

The way he said it made Corrin's stomach drop, like she had just been given the most precious bit of information in the entire universe. In some ways, she supposed that she had.

"No one else can know," he said again. "So if you're going to use it, please save it for when we're alone."

"Inigo," Corrin said slowly, touching her fingertip to her bottom lip gingerly.

She wanted to feel the way it looked coming out of her mouth. Gods only knew how long it had been since Laslow had heard his real name. She had to say it right. Say it beautifully. Say it like she loved every inflection, every curve of every letter, every syllable. Pour as much love as she had for him into one single word.

Laslow nodded, the faintest tint of a blush dancing on his cheeks. "You must be some sort of goddess," he mused, slipping back underneath the covers. "Only you could make my own name sound like heaven."

Corrin smiled earnestly, moving the bowl of soup from his lap to the nightstand before snuggling up against his chest. "That's probably because it is," she whispered.

She felt Laslow exhale deeply, a smile plastered whimsically on his lips despite how quickly he was falling asleep. She couldn't help but doze off with him, his soft, congested snores and the gentle rise and fall of his chest lulling her.

"I love you," Corrin whispered, knowing that he was far from conscious but needing to hear it said aloud anyway. "…Inigo."


	10. Firefly

**Quick Info~**

This is it. The chapter that I've slaved over for the past week or so, trying to get it just right. In the end, I figured that Laslow and Corrin know what they're doing and that it would fall into place without me needing to push. Characters have an odd way of jumping off of the page like that. ;) Anyway, there are definitely **spoilers for Awakening** in here, so if you haven't played the game yet just be warned. I don't want to tell you not to read this chapter because it's super important, but I do get the importance of wanting to stay away from spoilers. A big thank you again to everyone checking this out! I hope you're all ready for this one! (And quick side note about the new cover art for this story, I have the wonderful fan art ready to go, but my laptop is having a hard time uploading the file to this website for some reason. Worry not, it'll get there soon!)

* * *

 **Drabble 10: Firefly**

Laslow opened the chest at the foot of his bed quietly. It was old and rickety, but had served him well throughout his years of travel, and held his most prized possession. Buried underneath layers of blankets, extra clothes, and a hodgepodge of souvenirs collected everywhere from Ylisse to Nohr was a tiny box. And inside of that tiny box was a velvet cushion holding a ring.

His mother's ring.

He took the box from the chest and held it in one shaking hand, turning it over and over again with his fingers. Selena's words of warning rang through his ears as loud and clear as they had the first time he heard them. He wasn't supposed to date Corrin. He wasn't supposed to fall in love with Corrin. And he certainly wasn't supposed to even consider proposing to her.

Because he wasn't going to stay in Nohr. No 'supposed to's' about it. And he wasn't sure Ylisse was a place that Corrin could follow.

So he decided to put the box in his pocket for safekeeping. For the off chance that Corrin might develop the ability to jump worlds within the next twenty-four hours.

He did know one thing for sure. Today was going to be an excruciatingly long day.

* * *

It was only noon when he was caught the first time.

"Is there something in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?" Niles asked, leaning nonchalantly against the side of the castle wall and quirking a smirk to accompany his cheekily closed eye.

Laslow stopped dead in his tracks and his hand instantly flew to cover up the box. He was sure that his clothes were baggy enough to hide it. No one else had said anything. Then again, no one else had the audacity to stare in that general vicinity.

"Look, even Odin, in all of his theatric darkness, couldn't keep this a secret," Niles said.

Laslow sighed. Telling Odin of his plans after having one too many drinks wasn't the smartest move he could've made. Odin was supportive (as he had progressed farther than he thought possible in his relationship with Lady Elise), but that didn't mean that he was going to keep his mouth shut about it. Thankfully, Niles was a tease, but he was definitely not a snitch.

"So what are you going to do?" Niles pressed, moving his hands to his hips and peering at Laslow curiously.

"I don't know," Laslow admitted.

"Women like Lady Corrin don't come along every day." Niles shrugged. "Or even every _world._ "

Laslow looked up at him, his mouth slightly agape at Niles' assumption. Odin didn't tell him that, too? He couldn't have. He was sworn to secrecy by the darkness that bound his soul…or something.

"Just something to think about," Niles said, before sauntering away.

* * *

The second time he was caught shortly after three o'clock.

"Lord Xander, have you ever been in love?" he asked suddenly.

Xander nearly choked on his tea, spilling a few of its contents onto the papers he was furiously trying to sign while simultaneously read. Felicia stifled a giggle in the corner, probably grateful for once that she wasn't the clumsy one.

"Pardon?" Xander asked, coughing and hitting his chest with his fist.

"If he was in love, he would be married by now. Duh," Peri said, picking at her fingernails as she sat curled in a tiny ball in one of Xander's plush office chairs.

"Love is complicated when you have an entire country to think about," Xander said stiffly.

"Say on the off chance that I did have an entire country to think about," Laslow murmured, twiddling his thumbs and only occasionally gathering up the courage to look at Xander's facial expressions.

"Then you'd need to choose someone who was best for your country and also made you happy," Xander said, only half-listening as Felicia began to fret over cleaning the spilled tea.

"You're ridiculous," Peri said, lunging forward and snatching the box out of Laslow's pocket.

Before he had a chance to take it back, she had already opened it and was proudly showing the contents to none other than the crown prince of Nohr, his boss, Corrin's intimating _oldest_ brother.

"You're going to ask Corrin to marry you?" Xander asked coolly.

Laslow grabbed the box back from Peri and closed it with a loud snap before returning it safely to his pocket.

"It was only a thought in my mind, Milord. I would never without first asking—" Laslow floundered until Xander held up his hand.

"She loves you very much and she's happier than I've ever seen her before. You're a good man, Laslow. If you were looking for my blessing, you've got it, and that's not something I give out lightly," Xander said.

Simple and straight to the point. Xander snuffed the awkwardness out of situations like a tidal wave crashing over a candle.

"Lord Xander, I— Thank you," Laslow said, bowing his head and feeling the faintest hint of hot tears prickle at the corner of his eyes.

He decided that keeping Olivia's ring in his pocket all day must've caused her to rub off on him more than usual.

* * *

He managed to avoid everyone else for the majority of the day. It wasn't until dinnertime that he was caught for the third and final time by none other than Selena herself.

"You're going to propose to her, aren't you?" she hissed, grabbing the front of his shirt and yanking the fabric tightly in between her fists.

He was hovering dangerously close to a hot bowl of soup in the middle of the table, and people around them were beginning to stare.

"I don't know!" Laslow whispered back, holding up his hands in defense as he tried to wriggle out of her grasp.

"Come with me," she said firmly, standing with one fist still clasped around Laslow's collar.

She dragged him out of the mess hall and kept him trailing behind her as if he was a naughty child heading to time out. Her head was stuck haughtily high, but Laslow could tell from the way that her shoulders slumped that she was anxious and maybe even a little bit teary-eyed.

She closed the door to her quarters behind them to reveal Odin sitting on her bed, looking just as anxious as Selena felt.

"You're really in love?" Selena asked quietly, her voice trembling.

Laslow nodded. "I know what the risks are. You both have every right to hate me because of this, but I can't carry on with my relationship if it's not going to end with Corrin as my wife. I can't bare to let her go, either."

"She might not even be able to come with us," Odin warned.

"I know that, too," Laslow said, taking the box out of his pocket to examine the ring one last time. "But someone taught all of us that love has an odd way of working things out that seem impossible." He quirked a small smile then, running one finger across the smooth curve of the ring. " _Like defeating a dragon_."

The trio grew quiet, both Selena and Odin knowing exactly what Laslow was referring to.

"Shut up," Selena said, turning her face away from Laslow so he couldn't see the tears that were inevitably forming in her eyes at the memory.

Odin, however, was an unabashed mess. "You go propose to her right now! I don't care how many dark realms we have to conquer to take her with us. She's coming back to Ylisse as your wife!"

So Laslow took a deep breath and put the ring back in his pocket. If a certain tactician could beat the odds, then he certainly could, too.

* * *

"I want to take you out to tea," Laslow said, squeezing Corrin's hand as they walked alongside each other in the bright moonlight.

"Aren't all of the teashops closed?" Corrin asked.

"This one is special. I made it myself," Laslow said.

"As long as it's better than mine, I'll take it," Corrin teased, standing on her tiptoes to press a quick kiss to his cheek.

Laslow had already set up the perfect spot for their meeting. Just outside of the castle grounds, there was a thicket perfectly lit up by the moonlight. Fireflies frequented the location, enjoying nestling in the soft reeds of grass. Two teacups were resting on a blanket in the middle of the area, and when Corrin saw it, her eyes lit up.

"I swear you could make a trash pile look romantic," she said, giggling in a way that made Laslow's heart flutter and his knees weak.

How on earth was he going to pull the rest of the night off?

Corrin sat down on the blanket first, eager to try the tea Laslow had made. She knew that Jakob was instructing the retainers on all of the ins and outs of tea preparation, but from what she had heard Leo complaining about, it didn't sound like they had made much progress.

But Laslow's tea was divine. It was sweet, the way that Corrin liked it, and just fruity enough to remind her of it's maker. She crinkled her nose happily at the thought and nearly downed the entire cup in one gulp.

"Want to see something really cool about this spot?" Corrin asked.

"Hmm?"

She was up on her feet before Laslow could answer. Holding out one hand for him, she wiggled her fingers in an effort to urge him to grab them. Then she pulled him to his feet and readied herself.

"What are we—?"

Corrin took off running with Laslow in tow before he had a chance to finish his question. One hand was firmly intertwined with Laslow's, but the other was skimming the grass with graceful fingertips. The ground began to light up behind them, almost as if she set off some sort of explosion with her steps. The fireflies were waking, startled by the sudden movement.

"Silas told me that we used to sneak out and wake up all of the fireflies together," Corrin explained, her eyes brimming with happiness as she leapt through the field effortlessly.

Laslow smiled down at her, wondering just how lucky he got. She was everything he wanted and more. His own light in the dark. His firefly.

He stopped suddenly, pulling Corrin back towards his chest. Her eyes widened in surprise, but still she wrapped her arms around him and nuzzled into his chest.

"Aren't they beautiful?" she breathed, watching as the rustled fireflies filled the air around them, flickering warmly and lighting up their faces like dandelions.

"I know that you are," Laslow said.

Corrin pulled away from his chest to look up at him. "Positively cheesy," she teased.

"Corrin," Laslow said, breaking away from her grasp and taking a deep breath.

If there was going to be a more perfect moment, Laslow wasn't sure when it would come. He reached his hand into his pocket, fiddling with the box nervously. He felt faint staring at her expectant smile.

"I love you," he said, exhaling. "And just saying that alone is scary because I didn't want to fall in love. Not until I met you, anyway."

"I love you, too," Corrin said.

"But now that we've met, love has beyond manhandled me. It isn't going to let go anytime soon. I won't let it. And I don't ever want to let you go, either."

He readjusted, stooping to the ground on one knee. He heard Corrin audibly gasp as he reached into his pocket. He fumbled opening the box, the ring catching a ray of light from the firefly and shimmering.

And he knew.

He had Olivia's blessing. Corrin was the only one deserving of that ring, even before they met.

"Would you do me the upmost honor of being my wife?" he asked, holding the ring out with shaking hands.

"Yes," she managed to squeak.

Laslow slid the ring on her trembling finger and she fell into his arms.

"Yes," she repeated over and over again, clutching to him like she couldn't let go even if she wanted to.

Laslow watched the fireflies spiral towards the stars. Somewhere out there, across thousands or millions of those tiny pinpoints of light, he knew Olivia was smiling.


End file.
